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With the new legal duties surrounding workplace harassment investigations, it has become crucial to conduct legally sound investigations. Improper or incomplete investigations cost money and time and can erode credibility. Unfortunately, the consequences of an improper investigation can be dire including reaching the wrong result, having difficulty supporting an outcome, or even facing legal action or a complaint to the Ministry of Labour.

The
Workplace Investigations Training & Certificate Program is an in-depth program that effectively equips participants with the ability to recognize, investigate and report the findings of complex workplace investigations. The program takes place over three days with each day building on the skills and knowledge of the previous day(s).

The program covers:

Legal issues surrounding investigations including requirements under the
Occupational Health and Safety Act, Ontario Human Rights Code and common law.

The psychology of workplace and sexual harassment including the psychological dynamics, contributors to harassment, bystander interventions and the role of managers.

This is a very hands-on, practical course and participants will walk away with checklists, tools and forms to enable them to immediately apply their knowledge and skills. The program uses a case-study approach to honing participants' investigation and reporting skills and participants will be assessed on their report writing skills.

Participants can choose from two learning tracks in completing this program:

The Workplace Investigations Training will include all three days of in-depth programming, concluding after the third day with no additional coursework or academic requirements.The cost for the training track is $1,500 plus HST.

The Workplace Investigations Certificate will feature the same in-depth, three day programming, with the added option of obtaining an official certificate in Workplace Investigations. To earn the certificate, candidates much complete all three days in class, as well as completing and submitting a capstone report after the classroom module concludes. The report will be evaluated by the facilitators and marked as a pass or fail. The cost for the certificate track is $1,800 plus HST. Report Writing is eligible for 4 additional CPD Hours that can be entered manually to your Log

The Workplace Investigations Certificate Program has been approved by The Law Society of Upper Canada for 2.5 Professionalism and 18 Substantive Hours

The Workplace Investigations Training & Certificate will cover:

Knowing the law; when you must investigate and when other approaches may be better. Understanding the psychology; the victim and bullying styles and types.

Since 1992, Lauren Bernardi has been providing strategic advice and representation in the in the increasingly complex area of human resource law. Lauren works extensively in the field of workplace respect, harassment and violence. She frequently conducts Respect in the Workplace training sessions for employees, managers and municipal councils; represents employers and employees in human rights complaints; prepares harassment and code of conduct policies; provides individual sensitivity training; and investigates and resolves internal harassment complaints.

Described as an “exceptional speaker who explains the law in terms that everyone can understand”, Lauren has presented sessions to thousands of individuals on a wide variety of topics but with a particular emphasis on workplace respect, harassment and violence.

As an investigator, Lauren has been retained to conduct investigations into a wide variety of issues including sexual harassment, sexual assault, psychological harassment/bullying, poisoned work environments and allegations of discrimination on the basis of race, religion and family status. Lauren has also been involved in investigations of elected officials including mayors and municipal councilors.

Both complainants and respondents have expressed gratitude for the manner in which Lauren conducts her investigations. She is a trusted and well-respected investigator.

Speaker Alison Renton

Alison Renton

Alison joined the firm in 2017 after spending almost 9 years as Vice-chair of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO). Prior to her tenure with the HRTO, Alison spent 11 years as legal counsel with the LCBO. She also previously worked with several boutique labour and employment law firms where she appeared before a wide range of employment and labour related courts and tribunals.

During her time with the HRTO, Alison gained invaluable experience in workplace discrimination and harassment issues including adjudicating and mediating hundreds of human rights complaints. Alison’s vast experience makes her particularly adept at recognizing what is and is not harassment and discrimination, assessing credibility and providing recommendations for remediation.

Natasha’s passion for fairness and creative positive and respectful workplaces informs her work as an experienced workplace investigator in areas such as harassment, discrimination, violence and code of conduct violations.

Always sensitive and respectful of the parties involved as well as the integrity of the process, participants often express appreciation to Natasha for the comfort and ease she brings to their experience.

Natasha’s experience as a workplace investigator and facilitator of respect in the workplace training has provided her with a valuable perspective and wealth of knowledge regarding the dynamics that cause workplace relationships to fail, as well as the emotions and catalysts that underlie complaints and incidents of workplace harassment and bullying. She uses her knowledge and skills to connect with employees in these dysfunctional workplace relationships and help achieve positive and respectful workplaces through on-on-one coaching, mediation and work with teams.

Speaker Asha Rampersad

Asha Rampersad

Asha joined Bernardi Human Resource Law LLP in 2015 and her main areas of practice include human rights litigation and accommodation issues as well as workplace investigations.

Equipped with several years of teaching experience at the university level, and conducting numerous training sessions for human resource professionals, Asha has significant expertise in delivering training to both employers and employees on all facets of employment and labour law, including collective agreement interpretation. Asha has been quoted in the Law Time regarding the employer’s duty to investigate, and has been published in an Accessibility magazine regarding employers’ AODA obligations.

Asha has conducted numerous complex investigations including sexual assault, sexual harassment and workplace bullying. She is very sensitive to the needs of all parties to the investigation process.

Speaker Brian Gottheil

Brian Gottheil, Lawyer and HR Advisor

After clerking for the Federal Court of Canada, Brian practiced for more than three years with the employment and labour law department of a large international law firm before joining Bernardi Human Resource Law in 2014.

Since joining the firm, Brian has conducted numerous workplace investigations involving such varied issues as psychological harassment, manager and team relations, non-profit governance and sexual harassment. He has experience in advising employers and conducting investigations in both unionized and non-union environments.